Van Wely snatches win

By Malcolm Pein

12:01AM BST 19 Sep 2005

Loek Van Wely retained his Dutch title after a nerve jangling last round at the Dutch Championships at Leeuwarden. The tournament victor just managed to hold his higher rated opponent Sergey Tiviakov to a draw and win the ten player all play all with the relatively low score of 5.5/9.

Van Wely suffered a shock defeat with the white pieces in the penultimate round and took a half point lead into the final game against Holland’s Russian import who played a vital role in their capture of the European team gold medals earlier this year. Tiviakov has won most of the tournaments he has played in 2005 which has made his rating soar to 2699 and he missed a great chance in the final game after achieving a big edge out of the opening.

In a position with the bishop pair and a queenside pawn majority Tiviakov missed a tactical point and lost a pawn. Van Wely now held a clear advantage for the first time in the game but he could see his rivals were faltering and was content to repeat moves.

Tiviakov’s pupil Jan Werle, a law student playing in his first championship also had a chance to gain tournament victory but he was outplayed by Daniel Stellwagen another of Holland’s younger generation of talented players - see below. The tournament included nearly all of the country’s strongest players apart from Jan Timman who broke his hand and his still recuperating.

The Delayed Exchange Variation of the Ruy Lopez 6.Bxc6 is difficult to face in practice because very accurate play is required as White often secures a mobile pawn majority on the kingside. Black’s compensation lies in his possession of the bishop pair but after 17.Nf5 White exchanges one bishop on e7 and forces open the long black diagonal with 18.e5!Black should have tried 16…Bd6 threatening mate on h2 and if 17.h3 Rfe8 18.Nf5 Bf8 preserving the bishop or 17.f4 Qf7 threatening to take on d4, b3 and then capture the pawn on b4. Later Black should have repeated moves with 34…Qh5 and if 34...Qh5 35.Qc3 Qh6 36.Qe5 Qd6 37.Qxg7+ Rxg7 38.Bxg7+ Kg8 39.Be5+ Qg6 40.Rxg6+ hxg6 41.Bxc7 with drawing chances. Ultimately g7 proves impossible to hold and although this game looks like it was settled by a blunder even after 35…Qf7 36.h5! intending Qg5 and h6 Black cannot hold on.